2019 ARCA Menards Series West champion Derek Kraus will compete for Rookie of the Year honors and compete in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series this season for the newly formed McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
18-year-old Kraus will drive the team’s No. 19 Toyota Tundra during the 23-race schedule in 2020.
Additionally, the newly formed team has also announced that it has formed an alliance with Hattori Racing Enterprises, the 2018 Truck Series championship team and will work out of the team’s Mooresville, N.C.-based shop.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to partner with Bill Hilgemann and compete in the Truck Series on a full-time basis,” said McAnally.
“We have been working hard to put things in place to move Derek to the next level in NASCAR. It’s been great to be part of his development in the K&N Series these past three years. We look forward to moving ahead in advancing his career.
“This move is a big challenge and we are grateful for the opportunity to form an alliance with HRE. We’re excited to be working with a team that has their winning record in the series. Our relationship with such a strong Toyota program will be beneficial to us and we see it as a key to accelerating our program.”
Hilgemann, a successful businessman from Stratford, Wisc., where Kraus hails from is eager for his new venture in NASCAR.
“We’re proud to announce the formation of this team,” Hilgemann said. “Bill McAnally has a great reputation in the industry, and I’m pleased to put this program together with him.
“Derek is a talented young driver and we are excited to have him behind the wheel.”
Kraus recently competed in the ARCA Menards Series test session at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this past weekend to receive his superspeedway clearance and is eying his first superspeedway start in the season-opener on February 14.
“It (Daytona test) was a lot of fun,” Kraus said. “I learned of things that I can take towards any races in the future at Daytona. Thanks to everyone on Andy Hillenburg’s team for all their hard work to get me some seat time.”
Kraus has also made five starts in the truck series with Billy McAnally Racing. He finished eighth at Phoenix Raceway in making his series debut in 2018 and notched another eighth-place finish at Dover International Speedway, in one of four starts he made in 2019.
“Moving up to the truck series will be a big learning experience for me,” Kraus added. “I am looking forward to continuing to work with Kevin Bellicourt and the team. It’s going be a fun year.”
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